Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment – 90 mins – 2008 – Rated R  – 1080p Widescreen 1.85: 1 – TrueHD 5.1 audio

When the history books are written, the life of Mike Tyson will probably read like a greek tragedy. Tyson’s life is an amazing rags to riches story, but sadly he never had the opportunity to enjoy his success, because as soon as the world new who he was, it started a downfall to destruction. Filmmaker James Toback goes deep into the life of the infamous boxer, and for the first time offers a brutally honest look at Tyson’s world, and the best part is that it is told by the man himself. The documentary Tyson comes to Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and if you are a fan of Tyson (or even if you’re not), this is a must see because it pulls no punches.

THE MOVIE

Mike Tyson had a very hard childhood, growing up on the dangerous streets of Brooklyn, where he never imagined that he would even live that long so he just did whatever he it took to make it day by day. He committed petty crimes until he was finally caught being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This oddly, was the best thing that could ever happen to him, because he was sent away to a juvenile facility where he was introduced to the sport of boxing. This led him to be taken under the wing of his mentor Cus D’Amato, who stripped him down and rebuilt him into a professional boxer, and by the age of 20 Mike Tyson was the youngest person to become the heavyweight champion of the world. From here that Cinderella story comes crashing downhill like a raging comet, shifting him from a champ to an abusive husband, convicted rapist, and a defeated boxer who is reduced to bighting off a piece of his opponent’s ear.

The best thing about this documentary is that it’s not told from the perspective of others, Tyson himself tells his own life story, and at times some of the things he discusses are so painful that he breaks down. Such as how when he met Cus D’Amato and his family, his first intensions were to trick them and steal from them, because he didn’t trust anybody. But D’Amato made such an impact on his way of thinking that he was the first person that made him realize that he had self worth, and could actually be somebody. But when D’Amato died and Tyson was seduced into the realm of Don King, he saw that no one cared for him anymore, and he was just turned into a tool for others to make money.

Director James Toback finds a way to get things out of Tyson, that others might not even dared to attempt, such as what he was thinking during the now famous Barbara Walters interview, where he and his then wife Robyn Given basically calls him a destructive monster on TV as he just sits there and takes it. Tyson says the reason he remained quiet and tame during the interview is because even though he wanted to break loose, scream and destroy at that moment, he knew that that would maker his wife look like she was telling the truth, even though he says she was exaggerating.

There are also nice inside bits where Tyson tells that during the fight that led to him become the youngest heavyweight champion, he was suffering from an STD and was burning so badly that he took the rage out on his opponent. He also talks about his prime tactic before a fight where he keeps his eyes locked on his opponent and the moment the other guy breaks eye contact, he knows that he’s beaten him even before the battle begins. Probably one of the best moments of the documentary is when Tyson talks about being locked up for a rape he claims he didn’t commit, and how he lost trust in everyone by the time he was released, which explains his explosive tirades with reporters after and fighters where he makes the infamous speech about “eating their children.”

Actual fight footage is nicely woven in to highlight Tyson’s rise and fall, including his final fight with Kevin McBride where he is defeated and afterwards says that he’s aware that he doesn’t have what it takes to be a champion anymore, he just fought because he needed the paycheck. Rightfully so, Tyson blames Don King for stealing his fortune, and the emotion on his face and in his eyes shows sheer rage as he describes how he trusted King and in return was made a fool of by him.

Whether you like Tyson or hate him, this is a documentary that is worth your attention because it is in no way sugar coated, and while maybe not the full story, it gets close to the target. The end of the documentary shows Tyson with a tattooed face and a calmer man, who is just happy to be alive because he never thought he would make it this far in life. Now the most important thing in his life are his children, and he tries to be the father to them that he never had. Shakespeare couldn’t write a better tragedy than the real like of a poor kid from Brooklyn named Mike Tyson.

VIDEO

Presented in 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the presentation is solid, shot on high definition video and showing every detail in Tyson’s face, from his tribal tattoo to the worn look in his eyes. The fight and news footage from his life has been upcoverted to HD, and looks grainy compared to the interview scenes, but this is expected. Overall, since this is not a movie, there’s not much to compare it to in terms of difference of sequences, but the image quality is sharp enough to be satisfied.

AUDIO

Offering a Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 sound mix, this documentary allows you to hear every word Tyson speaks as crisps as if you were actually in the room with him. Tyson talks low and his lisps kicks in for certain words, but you should have no problem hearing him tell his story, (and if you do, there are subtitles). There’s not much use of the rear speakers, but the balance is effective and does the job.

EXTRAS

The documentary says it all, but some basic bonus features have been included, but instead of Tyson, they seem to focus on director James Toback.

Toback provides a solo audio commentary, and being that he’s a friend of Tyson, he has seen him during both good times and bad. This is worth a listen, but in no way pulls you in like the actual documentary.

‘A Day with James Toback’ follows the director as he promotes the documentary.

‘Iron Mike: Toback Talks Tyson’ has the director answering some questions about the infamous boxer.

‘James Toback on The Big Picture Show’ is another promotional segment for the documentary featuring the director discussing the project.

BOTTOM LINE

For anyone who either admires or despises Mike Tyson, this documentary is worth watching because it avoids the fluff and one-sided stories we’re used to, and has the man telling his own story. The one thing that is made clear is that Tyson will never be seen as the hero that Muhammad Ali is, and no matter what he does in the future, there will be a dark cloud over him. This Blu-ray offers good picture and sound quality, and even though the bonus features are slim, it’s the real cake is inside the documentary itself. Definitely give this one a look.

SCORES: (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.5

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.5